Rohtak: Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder
Singh Hooda today said he was against same gotra marriages but
asked the caste councils to act in accordance with the law of
the land to prohibit such wedlocks.

"In my views, marriage within the same gotra (clan) is
not appropriate," Hooda told reporters on the sidelines of a
function here to mark 125th year of the Congress party`s
existence.

However, Hooda said the Khap Panchayats must also work as
per the law of the land in sorting out marriage disputes.

He was asked to comment on the demand of Khap Panchayats
for amendment in the Hindu Marriage Act so that same gotra
marriages could be banned.

Terming the Khap Panchayats as "informal social
organizations", the Congress leader compared them with NGOs
engaged in various types of social activities.

Hooda`s young party colleague and MP from Kurukshetra
Navin Jindal had attended a Khap Mahapanchayat at Kaithal last
month and promised to take up their demand for an amendment in
the Hindu Marriage Act with the party high command.